There are many circumstances in which it is desirable to change the direction of movement of paper sheets, business forms, or similar substantially planar elements. For example, in the transport of single ply sheets used to make business forms from a detacher to a folder, it is desirable to change the orientation of the sheets from landscape to portrait mode without the rotating forms, and typically for the forms to be shingled when moving in both modes. According to the present invention, an apparatus and a method are provided which readily accomplish this desirable result in a simple, versatile, and effective manner. The apparatus and method of the invention allow the sheets or forms to be moved at different and variable speeds in the different modes, moved in either horizontal substantially perpendicular direction to the initial direction of movement, and moved from a shingled configuration to a shingled configuration, or to be simultaneously deshingled, or even to be moved from a non-shingled configuration to a shingled configuration.
According to one aspect of the present invention, apparatus is provided for changing the direction of movement of substantially flat elements (like paper sheets or business forms, single or multiple ply). The apparatus comprises: First and second nip rolls each having a periphery, and mounted for rotation about first and second axes of rotation, the first and second axes substantially parallel to each other, and substantially horizontal with the first axis above the second axis, and the peripheries thereof substantially in engagement with each other, the nip rolls for driving a substantially flat element in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the first and second axes of rotation. Means for rotating the first and second nip rolls about the first and second axes of rotation. First conveying means for conveying sheets in a second direction substantially parallel to the first and second axes of rotation and substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and mounted below the first axis. And, abutment means mounted on the opposite side of the first conveying means from the nip rolls, and substantially parallel to the second direction, and positioned to stop movement of a substantially flat element in the first direction.
The abutment means may comprise at least one fence element and means for allowing passage of air past the fence element between ends of a substantially flat element impacting the abutment means in the second direction. For example, the air passage allowing means may comprise means defining air passages in the fence element. Alternatively or additionally the abutment means may further comprise means for adjustably mounting the fence element so that the position thereof with respect to the first conveying means may be readily adjusted to accommodate substantially flat elements of different dimension. For example, the abutment means may comprise a plurality of fence elements and means for adjustably mounting the fence elements so that the positions thereof with respect to the first conveying means may be readily adjusted to accommodate substantially flat elements of different dimension. A support surface substantially coplanar with the first conveying means may be provided, in which case the means for adjustably mounting the fence elements preferably comprise a permanent magnet associated with each fence element or support surface for holding each fence element in a position to which it has been placed on the support surface.
The first conveying means typically comprises an endless conveyor belt mounted on support rollers rotatable about axes of rotation substantially perpendicular to the first and second axes, and means for driving a support roller about its axis of rotation. Preferably, a bridge leads to a nip between the nip rolls for guiding a substantially flat element to the nip, and the first and second rolls, the first conveying means, and the abutment means are disposed in three different modules which may be connected to or disconnected from each other. There may also be a second abutment means mounted on the opposite side of the first conveying means from the first abutment means. Also, typically, the periphery of the first nip roll is grooved, and means are provided for biasing the first nip roll periphery toward the second nip roll periphery.
The apparatus as described above is typically used in combination with a second conveying means for conveying in the first direction substantially flat elements to the nip rolls, and third conveying means for conveying substantially flat elements away from the first conveying means in the second direction.
According to another aspect of the present invention, apparatus is provided for conveying substantially flat elements from movement in a first direction to movement in a second direction substantially transverse to the first direction, comprising the following components: A substantially horizontal first conveying means for conveying substantially flat elements in the second direction. Abutment means mounted on one side of the first conveying means. A second conveying means for conveying substantially flat elements in a first direction, the second conveying means mounted on the opposite side of the first conveying means from the abutment means. And, accelerating means mounted on the same side of the first conveying means as the second conveying means for receiving substantially flat elements from the second conveying means and accelerating the elements to propel the elements one at a time in the first direction over the first conveying means into engagement with the abutment means, so that the abutment means stops movement thereof in the first direction and causes the elements to move into operative engagement with the first conveying means.
The accelerating means preferably comprise the first and second nip rolls described above.
According to a method aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of changing the direction (typically about 90 degrees of paper sheets or business forms, comprising the steps of substantially continuously: (a) Moving a paper sheet or business form in a first direction at a first speed. (b) Accelerating the paper sheet or business form while moving in the first direction to a second speed much higher than the first speed, sufficient to cause the paper sheet or business form to because completely airborne and move freely through the air. (c) Positively stopping movement of the airborne paper sheet or business form as it moves in the first direction. And, (d) immediately after step (c) moving the paper sheet or business form in a second direction substantially transverse to the first direction at a third speed.
The second speed is usually about 3-10 times higher than the first speed; for example, if the first speed is about 25 feet/minute when feeding single ply forms from a detacher to a folder, the second speed is about 190 feet/minute. Usually, the third speed is substantially greater than the first speed too; in the above example, the third speed could be about 170 feet/minute. The exact speeds, and ratios of speeds, will vary widely depending upon the particular sheets or forms, whether the forms are initially shingled and are to be maintained shingled or deshingled, the previous and subsequent operations to be performed on the sheets or forms, etc. For example the second speed can be from just higher than the first speed to about 360 feet/minute, while the third speed can be from zero to about 1,000 feet/minute.
According to optional methods of the invention, the paper sheets or business forms are moved in step (a) in a shingled configuration, and the degree of shingling and the aspect ratio of the sheets or forms and the ratio of the first to the third speed are controlled so that the sheets or forms are also shingled when moving in step (d), or deshingled when moving in step (d); or initially non-shingled forms moving at the first speed may be shingled when moving in step (d).
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide for the simple, effective, and versatile movement of substantially flat elements (like sheets or multi-ply or single ply business forms) from one direction to another generally transverse direction, without rotation of the elements. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.